On Tuesday, Stoke officially announced that the forward had signed for the club and been loaned out, but chief executive Tony Scholes said the Potters would reapply for a permit in March in a bid to ensure he can play for them next season.

He told the club’s official website: “We were surprised and bitterly disappointed when our application for a work permit was rejected by the appeals panel -- as were many other people in the game.

“It’s still our view that Juan is a great talent and is a player that [Stoke manager] Mark Hughes would like to join our squad. We have therefore decided that we are going to reapply for a work permit at the earliest opportunity.

“We have signed Juan but he cannot play in this country, so we’re loaning him out to Utrecht to allow him to not only develop his experience of playing in Europe but also to stay match sharp. Hopefully we will be successful with our second work permit application and Juan will be able to join Mark’s squad in advance of next season.”